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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

The 85% and the Roadmap

Neville Smit posted this blog entry on Monday. Go read it. Basically it highlights the lack of any real development of Eve for Hi-sec, low-sec and wormhole space outside structures and capitals which are the focus for the foreseeable future.

Sure the players in these areas will benefit from the new structures such as the industrial arrays and drilling platforms, but what else is there? Obviously I didn't attend every presentation and roundtable at Fanfest, but from what I saw.... not a lot.

Is the five year road map becoming the new "18 months" for the 85%?

I already posted that I was disappointed with the low-sec/Faction War/Crimewatch roundtable this year. Before I go on I want to make it clear the disappointment is NOT with the Dev's that hosted the RT (I'm not having a go at you Fozzie, you're lovely!) It's about resources being given to the areas considered by that roundtable. It was the same issues raised time and time again. Last year in 2015 CCP were suggesting they may have development time later that year to look at some of the issues we raised. This obviously didn't happen. This year there was no such glimmer of hope. No mention of potential resources or possibilities of actually looking at the raft of issues raised. Probably for good reason. That there is no intention of doing so. So that element of the playerbase, not interested in Citadels, faction capitals, boosted fleets and industry have nothing to massively look forward to.

I personally believe it's not quite as simple as 85% of players do their thing predominantly outside null-sec as null-sec is more important than that. Many high-sec players are likely null-bear alts. Faction war certainly has a lot of null players having an alt in there either for some fast and easy PvP or farming LP. We know previously a lot of the minerals mined in high-sec were shipped back to null for super-capital production although with the changes over the last few years I'm not sure the flow of Veldspar (in the form of 425mm railguns) is what it used to be. How many of those hi-sec veldspar suckers have their main in Null?

However, development does need some rebalancing. We appear to be slipping back to the old ways. Away from Inferno and Crucible towards... the expansion that must not be named. I am a low-sec PvP player. Faction war and piracy. What is coming up for players like me? I've seen nothing. I'm not going to put down a structure. I'm not interested in player built stargates. Capitals are very, very rarely used. The "new space" is likely to be null sec v2 with the blocs controlling the best space. Anyone who thinks the Goons and CFC/Imperium are gone needs their head examined.

Speaking to people, many feel the same. Areas of the game are stagnating and in need of revival. Industrialists and miners outside null have a few things to look forward to. Lets not just take my word for it. Let's scroll down Eve Updates and take a peek at what is "upcoming"

Now think of how often the majority of Eve Online Players will be using the above? All generally good things coming up, but nothing space-shattering for a good proportion of the player base.

Nothing for the missioners and ratters. Nothing really for the PvP players outside of fleets with dedicated booster ships. Even for the industrialists is simply moving from POS or NPC station to your own place... if you want to risk it. These small hi-sec industrial corps are going to suffer from the hi-sec griefing corps who will dec them simply to blow up their array.

What's in the roadmap for us 85%? What has 2016 into 2017 got us excited for....?

11 comments:

Why would anyone want to blow up one of the new structures in high sec , null sec or low sec?There is nothing to gain from that, no loot at all.All stuff will be saved with a 10% loot denial fee.Null sec v2 clearly does not interest you in any way?Why not have it like low sec? Or a bether version of it? Think about that.Miners and ratters have not gotten stuff since the start of eve.... .

To grief, to get a 700m killmail easy, the "wreck their dreams" as CCP said this year. Not just about loot.If the new space was an extension of low-sec... seriously is this even remotely likely no. Plus, do we need more low-sec space? No, need more people in it.Miners and missioners and ratters need some more content desperately I hear from those that do that, as do WH'rs.

TBH, this concept of protecting contents of known space citadels by instantaneous movement to a safe location is patently idiotic. Toss it all up to the loot fairy. If you can't risk loosing something, don't store it in a Citadel. That is what NPC stations are for. If the rough and tumble null-sec players can't handle the possibility of their home citadel being taken out, either defend it to make sure it doesn't or DON'T STORE YOUR PRECIOUS STUFF THERE. Null sec is supposed to be the most dangerous space. Having a big red life jacket around all your stuff doesn't seem very risky to me.

>>I'd ask a more answerable question like: "Overall, how optimistic (or pessimistic) are you about the continuing development of EVE?"

(...)

That said, it also deserves some expanding on. The basic answer to your question is "it depends." If you buy into CCP Seagull's vision of space exploration and capsuleer ownership of space that she laid out at Fanfest (2013 -A.O.) and consistently since then, then I think you have good reason to be very excited about developments over the next few years. (...)

On the other hand, if you do not buy into the vision, then with one exception I think you may find the next few expansions to be not your cup of tea. A few scraps will fall from the table onto everyone's plate, but EVE is definitely on a journey for the next three years and you're either part of it or you're not. (...).>>

That was in November 2013. This and other things drove my decission to stop paying CCP and swim through the (free) blogosphere waters to find a reason to get back to EVE.

And yet looks like Ripard Teg's "three years" now have become "five bloody years" as the current roadmap won't be finished until 2018, maybe.

The Rubicon Plan is like a Bizarro version of Walking in Stations: the execution of WiS was a disaster but the idea itself was right, whereas Rubicon Plan is a wrong idea undergoing a flawless execution.

Has CCP get their priorities right? As right as to turn the future development of EVE into something only a minority will enjoy, and pay the price of denying content to all their other paying customers?

How long will CCP abuse the patience of those disposesed by Rubicon? How long will the disposesed look at CCP with hope that they will someday mind of those who don't give a flying shit of structures, owning space, shooting players or playing with others?

Who will pay for EVE if EVE becomes a game only for those who bought the Rubicon vision and nothing else but aged, stale, outdated content for the rest...?

EVE Online is not just a game – it’s one of the world’s most ambitious living works of science fiction. The EVE universe is a canvas for some of the most hard core PvP action in the gaming world, player driven stories of epic dimensions that mirror humanity in both amazing and disturbing ways, and individual stories of exploring this world and achieving personal goals.

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In the universe of EVE Online, military and industrial might re-emerged following the dark ages of the EVE Gate collapse, growing into four human civilizations that rose to the stars: the Amarr Empire, the Gallente Federation, the Caldari State and the Minmatar Republic. Yet the capsuleers, the immortal pilots of EVE’s most powerful spaceships, are becoming a stronger and stronger force of their own. They will not settle with what has been served to them thus far. EVE Online: Rubicon is the first step beyond a point of no return, on a dangerous path to ascension with consequences that neither capsuleers nor players can predict.

Think about building things and about destroying them.

Think about the rise of the immortal capsuleer, taking over what the human Empires used to control

Imagine capsuleer corporations, rising in power and capabilities, flying their own colors and using their might to build up whole areas of space. Imagine disrupting what someone else built up, through cunning or force. Imagine profiting from the interstellar-scale industry generated as capsuleers take control of new powerful technologies.

Imagine what could happen if capsuleers truly mastered the science of space travel itself, and were no longer bound to the known universe.

We are on a long term plan to deliver on what we imagine for EVE Online and New Eden. With Rubicon we continue our efforts to improve and balance the game, to support our player community, and give you the unique sandbox science fiction experience that EVE Online provides.

As capsuleers, you will find the first keys to the future.

Be part of the game. Be part of the universe. Be part of the story.>>

2 years and half later, here we are... halfway of the 5 year plan to implement Nullsec 2.0 or Wormholes 2.0 or Someothershit 2.0.

No real surprise here. The null sec cartels have controlled the dev's for years, and high sec industry is a shadow of what it was 5 years ago. You have to recognize the mindset of the typical dev. They are people that want mayhem and pain to be the daily mantra in Eve. These people hate high sec, and would do away with it completely, except they would be all out of jobs.

As a solo and sometimes small gang PVPer the removal of off-grid links is probably going to be the best positive change for my playstyle in years. That change (plus nerfs to T3Ds) is really all I need to be content for the next few years personally!

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